The Greater Naples Better Government Committee announced endorsements Friday for Collier County Commissioner District 4 and District 1, 3 & 5 School Board Races. Candidates were interviewed at the law offices of Cummings & Lockwood. Each candidate receives 30 minutes to elaborate his or her platform and answer questions asked by the Committee.  

Penny Taylor, Collier County Commissioner District 4, Endorsed

Ms. Taylor demonstrates an accountable, no-nonsense approach to using taxpayer resources. She seeks to promote efforts to make Collier County a national center for medical diagnostics and patient wellness, while working with residents to diversify the economy.

Penny Taylor’s website : www.votepenny.com
Also running: Lavigne Kirkpatrick

Jacob Winge, Collier County School Board District 1,  Endorsed

The committee sees a strong and dedicated candidate. As a 2011 high school graduate of Barron Collier and 4-year Jr. ROTC member, this candidate exemplifies both civility and a commitment to the County, earning a degree at Edison State. Winge also served as President of the Student Government Association. He hopes to build a “constituent roundtable” in an effort to build communication and accountability on the school board, and to shrink county mandated testing of students.

Jacob Winge on Facebook
Also running: Kathleen Greenawalt, Kelly E Lichter

Luis Bernal, Collier County School Board, District 3, Endorsed

As a consultant for international development, who also boasts a Master’s degree in Public Policy, Bernal brings a fresh approach to ethics, good behavior and common sense. Rising from humble beginnings, Bernal hopes to close achievement gaps in the local school system while also looking for ways to cut wasteful spending.

Luis Bernal’s website: http://luisbernal.co/
Also running: Erika B. Donalds, JB Holmes, Kathy Ryan

Roy Terry, Collier County School Board District 5, Endorsed

Terry is an incumbent school board member who has successfully met his previous campaign promises to cut impact fees by 50% and reduce referendum liability. He also helped implement online kindergarten registration and hopes to expand web registration to all grades in an effort to improve the school board planning process.

Roy Terry’s profile on Collier County Public School Board website
Also running: Thomas Andler

• August Primary is on August 26, 2014
• Election to Collier County Commission in District 4 is an open primary, which means all residents in District 4 can vote for their next Commissioner, independent of their party affiliation.
• School board elections are county wide, Collier County voters can vote for candidates in all districts.
• Learn more about the election and the candidates on the website of the Supervisor of Elections: www.colliervotes.com

Established in 1991, The GNBGC serves the community through providing objective evaluations and endorsements of Collier County candidates for office, in an effort to help residents learn about their platforms.

Each Committee member must disclose, prior to the endorsement vote, any campaign involvement or monetary contributions made to a candidate being considered for endorsement by the Committee. These Board members abstain from the discussion/vote in that particular race.

“As dedicated members of this committee, we have a great responsibility in honestly evaluating our local candidates. It’s often a very tough job because most are very qualified.” says Sally Tiffany, President of the GNBGC. “With these endorsements, residents of Collier County can expect critical assessments.”